Throughout the trial, reporters have gathered at the intersection of Fort Street and Shelby near the federal courthouse in Detroit to intercept Ferguson, Kilpatrick and their attorneys on their way to the Penobscot Building — other reporters gathered on the north side of the building where Bernard Kilpatrick usually parks and exits separately.

M.L. Elrick has uncovered corruption in City Hall since he helped break the text-message scandal in 2008 and his relentless questioning of the defendants and their attorneys tends to make them bristle, which may understate Rataj's reaction Thursday.

Rataj stopped to speak with media briefly before entering the office building and in his statement praised the closing arguments of Gerald Evelyn, another of Bobby Ferguson's defense attorneys.

An emotional Evelyn closed with this Martin Luther King Jr. quote: "The ultimate measure of a man, or a woman, is not where he or she
stands in a time of comfort or convenience, but where he stands in a
moment of controversy."

Rataj said, "We put our heart and soul into this case and we believe in what we're doing and the words that he quoted from Martin Luther King are apropos just like his reference to the jurors to being a profile in courage because they have to resist all the outside pressures... that have been brewing in this town 5, 6, 7 ,8 years."

Elrick followed by asking,"Is the government racisit is that what you're saying?" which Rataj took offense to.

This is the exchange that ensued:

Rataj: Did I say anything like that?

Elrick: That's why I asked the question.

Rataj: Are you ignorant?

Elrick: That's why I asked the question.

Rataj: Are you ignorant?

Elrick: That's why I asked the question.

Rataj: You're an ignorant moron. (Rataj walks toward the door)

Elrick: Mike just answer the — be a man. Quit being such a...(Rataj tuns around and shoves Elrick)

Rataj: Be a man? be a man? You gonna question me about being a man?

A verbal battle ensued and at one point there was an unexplained exchange about a planned "meeting" between the two.

"You're a punk. I asked you to meet me one time," Rataj said.

"And you didn't show up," responded Elrick, "I asked your client."

The verbal battle continued.

"You want to go right now, OK, you want to go right now, Elrick," said Rataj.

Elrick handed his microphone to his cameraman.

"Take the first shot if you want to counselor," he said.

Tempers seemed to have calmed since the two parted. They both appeared on Fox 2's "Let it Rip" Thursday wearing hockey gloves, a sport they each play.

Elrick explained that coverage of the Kilpatrick trial is difficult due to cameras being prohibited in the courtroom, so its the reporter's job to give the players an opportunity to present their stance to the public outside court walls.

"I never implied" that the attorneys in this case are racists,Rataj said when he appeared on the program with Elrick.

Elrick equated the altercation to a hockey game.

"You play the game, you line up against each other, you breath in each other's face," he said. "Game's over, you shake hands, you're friends, you meet at the bar."